12.31.2010

The Decade I Grew Up

As the last few hours of 2010 creep by, everyone is busy reflecting on the year. When I stopped to reflect about the year I realized, nothing really happened. We didn't move or have a baby or change jobs. Yes, this year had its ups and downs but over all no big life change. Then, it occurred to me that this last decade has been FULL of life changing. Something big has happened almost every year. I can't imagine another decade in my life that will define me as much as this one has. I think for most people your 20s are when you "find yourself" and you make decisions that will dictate the rest of your life. That statement at at least has been ever so truthful for us. On top of those decisions, this decade I lost my mom, something that has forever changed my world. Add this all up and you get one crazy roller coaster ride. In some ways, I am drastically different than I was 10 years. But yet, I think that same girl is still there. I have settled into my own skin this decade. I have learned a lot about the world, about love, about loss and friendship.

The highlights:

Meet and married the love of my life.

Graduated from college.

I lived in 7 different apartment/dorms/homes in the last 10 years.

Watch my mom loose the battle to brain cancer.

Jason and I lost our last living grandparents.

Bought our first home.

Got knocked up, twice (2nd baby will be in 2011).

Had a baby and watched him grow into toddlerhood.

Been in/apart of too many weddings to list.

Profession changes, both of us have had several.

Had a major shift in my religious views.

Made life long friendships.

We did a decent amount of traveling. Here are a few places that one or both of us went . . . NYC, Chicago, Philly, Detroit, Ecuador, Uruguay, Guatemala, New Orleans, Mexico City, Bahamas, Texas, Savannah, St. Augustine, Kansas City, Niagara Falls, Toronta, Washington D.C, Virginia Beach, Alaska, pretty much the entire east coast, and a few other places I am sure that I've forgotten.

I am pretty certain that when I am old and I look back on my life, this will be decade that defines who I am. It is the decade I grew up.

To celebrate all the milestones in the last 10 years, here a few pictures. I was going to try to include our family, friends and places we've been but if I had, the video would have been an hour long. So, I mainly focused on us (because we are vain) and the people who aren't with us anyone (My mom and all of our grandparents). The quality sucks on some of the older pictures but I am to lazy to fix them. There are ton of older photos I would love to add but, that would require scanning. You can still get the gist. We've changed, a lot. And we couldn't be happier.

After watching this Jason noted that we will be 40 at the close of the next decade. We both will turn 30 this coming year. I can't wait to see how we look. I am sure after spending 10 years with two little boys we will have lot more gray hairs.

Holy crap, your decade and mine were a lot alike. I finished my graduate degree, as a result I now have a career instead of jobs, bought my first house, met and married the love of my life (after being dumped by the previous love of my life), watched my mom die of brain cancer, lost my last grandparent, and traveled to somewhere new. It was definitely a decade of redefining.